Lubricant metering device



April 25, 1950 c. B. WARREN 2,505,595

LUBRICANT METERING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. F P C'levellubrreu.

BY @ZM 04 ATTORNEY April 25, 1950 Filed July 21, 1944 c. B. WARREN LUBRICANT METERING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 21 3f INVENTOR. Cleve B. WITI'GIZ, 13 B Y A 770/? NE')/ Patented Apr. 25, 1950 TENT FFICE LUBRICANT METERING DEVICE Cleve B. Warren, Cedar Grove, N. J., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Teterboro, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application July 21, 1944, Serial No. 545,919

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to lubrication, and particularly to mechanism for metering the flow of lubricant.

In many applications, particularly for the obtaining of suction pressures for the operation of air-driven instruments in aircraft, it is desirable to have an engine driven air pump which will use substantially a minimum of lubricant, consonant with efiicient operation, to prevent the accumulation of lubricant in the pump chamber and in the outlet of the pump. For this reason, metering devices have been employed and which operate to supply an amount of lubricant to the pump to meet the minimum lubricating requirements thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a lubricant metering system for a rotor, which system is so constructed and arranged whereby the metering of lubricant is accomplished by a novel mechanism actuated .by the rotor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide lubricating mechanism equipped with replaceable means whereby the quantity of lubricant to be metered can be easily varied.

Additional objects of the invention include the provision of a lubricating mechanism which meters lubricant in an intermittent manner and in positive or predetermined measures under pressure to meet minimum lubricating requirements, and which mechanism is so constructed and arranged as to preclude clogging by the lubricant.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following specification when made in conjunction with the attached drawings, through which like numerals designate like parts.

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an air pump embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional detail view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial end elevation of the opposite end of the pump with respect to that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one end of the rotor; and

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the opposite end of the rotor.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is provided an air pump having an aluminum housing I comprising end members or walls H and l2 and a cylindrical oouy or warm ber portion 13 disposed between and secured to the end walls H and I2 by means of studs M. The end wall II includes an integral mounting flange it provided with a plurality of holes I6 by which the pump l3 maybe attached to the pad of an aircraft engine.

A rotor E8 is eccentrically mounted within the body portion [3 and comprises a cylindrical casing is provided with transversely disposed end plates 2! and 22 integrally connected to the casing is by brazing, the end plates being formed with outwardly extending circular bosses 23 and 2 respectively. The rotor casing and end plates are provided with registering longitudinal and radial slots 25 in which are mounted, for reciprocation, vanes or blades 26. The bosses 23 and 2 3 are formed with radial slots 21 and 28 which register with the radial slots 25 of the end plates 2i and 22, respectively. The bosses 23 and 2d are also formed with outwardly and axially extending hollow stud shafts or trunnions 30 and 3! journalled in ball bearings 32 and 33, respectively, the trunnionfil having secured therein a transversely extending pin or rod 34 for a purpose hereinafter macle apparent. The bearing 33 is encompassed by a liner 55 and carried within a recess 35 formed on the inner face of the end wall 12, while the bearing 32 is outwardly sealed as at 31 to preclude leakage of lubricant and is secured within a cylindrical aperture 38 formed in the end wall H, said bearing 32 being embraced by annular liners 39 and 40 mounted within the aperture 38 and which liners may be of aluminum and steel, respectively. A pinion il, having a shaft connected within and sealing the trunnion 30, is driven, through suitable couplingmeans, by the drive shaft of the engine for operating the pump.

The flange i5 is provided with a plurality of circular recesses or depressions 42, each of which communicates with the outer end of an oil channel 43, the latter extending inwardly and discharging into an annular recess 44 surrounding the liner All. The flange I5 is also provided with an angularly disposed oil channel at having one end communicating with the recess 46 and its opposite end, through the medium of a hollow dowel pin 46 with the adjacent and of a bore t! formed in and extending longitudinally through the body portion 13. The opposite end of the bore 411 communicates, through the medium of a similarhollow dowel pin 48, with an oil conduit 49 formed in the end wall I2 and which oil conduit 49 communicates through a passageway 49 with an an nula'r recess "50 formed in the end plate [2 as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

A sleeve member 5| more clearly shown in Figures 3 and 5 extends into a central bore 52 and is threaded within an enlarged coaxial bore 53, both of said bores being formed in the end wall l2 and disposed in spaced relation on opposite sides of the recess 50. The sleeve member 5| is fashioned with an outwardly disposed hexagonal flange or head 54 and a shank portion 55, the latter being formed with a pair of diametrically diiferent sections 56 and 51, respectively. The section 58 is of a smaller diameter than the section 5'1 and is separated therefrom by a radial shoulder 58. The section 5'! is disposed adjacent the flange 54 and is formed, together with the flange, with a socket or compartment 59 defined by an inner radial face 66 formed with a bore or channel 6! extending through the shank portion 55. A headed screw stopper or plug 62 is ireaded into the socket to close the outer portion thereof and thus aids in forming a small chamber 553 within the sleeve member and into which lubricant, from the recess 50, is iintroduced through the medium of an angular passageway 86 formed in the sleeve member 5i. Suitable sealing gaskets 65 of soft copper or the like are interposed between the heads of the sleeve member 5! and plug 62; the head 54 and adjacent face of the end plate l2; and the shoulder 58 of the sleeve member 5! and a radial :face 66 defining the recess 5i], whereby, to preyvent leakage of lubricant from therebetween.

A metering pin or member '50 is rotatably carried within the sleeve member Eli and comprises a head ll formed with an integral shank TF2, the head having its rear radial face rotatably engaging the radial face til within the socket 63. The shank l2 is provided with near and remote :sections 13 and i l with respect to the head H and is formed with a circumferential groove 75 disposed between the sections. The section 14 is of lesser diameter than the section i3 to provide a clearance between the section I4 and the face of the bore 6|, thus establishing a passage l6 therebetween. The outer end of the section 14 is bifurcated to provide spaced fingers Tl which embrace the pin 35 and thus effect rotation of the metering member It coincident with rotation of the rotor [8. The head ll of the metering member is provided with an orifice 18 adapted to register and communicate with a recess N formed in the face 60, upon each rotation of the :metering member. An angularly disposed chan- I19]. 8%! is formed in the sleeve member and com- ;municates at one end with the recess 19 and, rat the opposite end, opens into the bore Bl whereby lubricant is discharged therein and into the groove 75 as clearly disclosed in Figure 3 of the drawings.

When the pump in is mounted on an engine, at least one of depressions 52 (depending on the orientation of the pump ID on an engine) will register with a similar depression or an interfitting projection on the engine pad which discharges oil at engine pressure, for example, seventy-five pounds per square inch. Oil at this pressure is forced through channel 43 to annular recess l i and thence to channel 45, bore 41, conduits 49 and 49 and annular recess 5! From the recess 59, oil is forced through angular passageway 64 into chamber 63 and, when orifice 18 is in registry with recess 19, the oil is introduced into the passage 16 through the passageway 86 and groove 15. Oil thus forced into the passage I6 is discharged into the rotor casing 19 through the hollow trunnion 3|. The oil entering the rotor casing and flowing along the interior thereof will lubricate the blades 26, the walls defining the slots in which the blades reciprocate and the bearings 32 and 33 by reason of being discharged thereto through the slots during the reciprocation of the blades.

As heretofore stated, the head of the metering member is rotated once for each revolution of the rotor, thereby effecting intermittent registry of the orifice IS with the recess 19. This operation of the metering member serves to measure the oil introduced into the rotor and by varying the size of the orifice 18, the amount of oil thus introduced into the rotor may be increased or decreased to meet the requirements of pumps of difierent sizes and types. It will be apparent that by merely removing the plug 62, the metering pin may be readily replaced by another having a different size orifice 18 thereby permitting the quantity of oil or lubricant to be easily varied.

When orifice i8 is out of registry with the recess 19, oil cannot be introduced into the rotor since the pressure of the oil in the chamber 63 serves to force the head ll into sealing engagement with the radial face 69, thereby precluding leakage of the oil into the bore 61.

In lieu of the described relation of the shank section 14 with the peripheral face of the bore SI, the shank section it and/or the peripheral face, may be provided with one or more longitudinally extending grooves for permitting oil to flow from the groove 15 into the rotor.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction thereof to suit require ments.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application filed November 11, 1942, Serial Number 466,896, now abandoned.

I claim: 7

1. In a metering device, the combination of a housing including a wall, a rotor chamber, a recess between the chamber and the inner side of the wall and a bore from the exterior of the housing through the wall to the recess having inner and outer lengths of small and large diameters, respectively, said large diameter portion having internal screw threads; a rotor in said chamber having a tubular end in said recess and a driving pin held to the rotor across the end; a sleeve having a head outside the wall, a first tubular portion threaded into said threaded bore, a second tubular portion fitting said inner length, and a transverse inner face between said tubular portions; said wall forming an annular chamber about said sleeve and a conduit communicating with said annular chamber and adapted to cornmunicate with a fluid source; a plug screw threadedly mounted in said first tubular portion having an outer end head and an inner end surface cooperating with said face and said sleeve to define a'compartment'in the sleeve; anda metering pin including an outer head end in said compartment having an axial through aperture, a first shank portion next to the head closely fitting said second tubular portion, an annular fluid passage groove next to said first shank portion, a second shank portion next to said groove loosely fitting said second tubular portion to form a metering passage inwardly from said groove,

and a bii'urcate inner end straddling said driving pin; said sleeve forming a, duct from said axial aperture to said groove and a duct from said annular chamber to said compartment.

2. In a metering device, the combination of a housing including a wall and a bore from the exterior of the housing through the wall having inner and outer portions; a rotor in the housing; a sleeve accessible from the outer side of the wall having a first tubular portion in said outer portion, a second tubular portion fitting said inner portion, and a transverse portion between said tubular portions; said wall forming a chamber about said sleeve and a conduit communicating with said chamber and adapted to communicate with a, fluid source; a plug in said first tubular portion accessible from the outer side of said wall having a transverse portion cooperating with said first transverse portion and said first tubular portion to define a, compartment in the sleeve; and a metering pin including a head in said compartment having an axial through aperture, a first shank portion next to said head closely fitting said second tubular portion, an annular groove passage next to said first shank portion, a second shank portion next to said groove loosely fitting said second tubular portion to form a metering passage inwardly from said groove, and a portion inwardly from said second shank portion adapted for slip connection to, and disconnection from, said rotor; said sleeve forming a duct from said axial aperture to said groove and a duct from said chamber to said compartment.

3. In a metering device, the combination of a housing including a wall and a bore from the exterior of the housing through the wall having inner and outer portions; a sleeve accessible from the outer side of the wall having a first tubular portion in said outer portion, a second tubular portion fitting said inner portion, and a transverse portion between said tubular portions: said wall forming a chamber about said sleeve and a conduit communicating with said chamber and adapted to communicate with a fluid source; a plug in said first tubular portion accessible from the outer side of said wall having a transverse portion cooperating with said first transverse portion and said sleeve to define a compartment in the sleeve; and a, rotatable metering pin including a head in said compartment having an axial through aperture, and a shank in said second tubular portion having an annular groove passage and a portion inwardly of said groove in said second tubular portion along which fiuid flows inwardly from said groove, said sleeve forming a duct from said axial aperture to said groove and a duct from said chamber to said compartment 4. In a metering device, the combination of a member having inner and outer sides and a bore from the outer side through the member having inner and outer portions; a, sleeve accessible from said outer side having a first tubular portion in said outer portion, and a second tubular portion in said inner portion; said member forming a chamber laterally of said sleeve adapted to receive fluid from a fluid source, a, plug in said first tubular portion accessible from the said outer side and cooperating with said sleeve to define a compartment in the sleeve; and a rotatable metering pin includin an outer head end in said compartment having an axial through aperture, and a shank in said second tubular portion having an annular groove passage and a portion inwardly of said passage in said second tubular portion along which fluid flows inwardly from said passage, said sleeve having a duct from said aperture to said groove and a duct from said chamber to said compartment.

CLEVE- B. WARREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,328,015 Ricardo Jan. 13, 1920 1,895,092 Williams Jan. 24, 1933 2,068,803 Johnson Jan. 26, 1937 2,164,794 Backhouse July 4, 1939 2,207,518 Moser July 9, 1940 2,294,387 Curtis et a l Sept. 1, 1942 2,303,114 Egger Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 46,89? France Aug. 4, 1936 

